Storm From Above
by waveyxai
Summary: AU. Raised in Olympus by her father Zeus, after her mother was murdered and her home destroyed, Diana has spent her life training for a war she doesn't even know is coming. When she is thrust into the outside world for a mission, secrets are uncovered and Diana must decide what side of the war she is on - but how can she when the lines between good and bad are so blurred?
1. Fate is like a Sandstorm

"Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why? Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. This storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm, closing your eyes and plugging up your ears so the sand doesn't get in, and walk through it, step by step. There's no sun there, no moon, no direction, no sense of time. Just fine white sand swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones. That's the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine.

An you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You'll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of others.

And once the storm is over you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."

 _\- Haruki Marakami_.

 **Coming soon.**


	2. Prologue

" _No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. All we can do is see it through to the end and learn something from it, but what we learn will be no help in facing the next sorrow that comes to us without warning."_

― _Haruki Murakami_

* * *

War. It was something Diana had been taught about since she could talk. It was something she had been trained for since she could walk. It was something her mother never wished for her. It was important for every Amazon to learn the art of warfare, it was a tradition, one that Hippolyta knew was important due to the unpredictable nature of the Gods and the world that they resided in but she often told Diana that she wished, as a mother, that her one child would never see or be a part of the horrors that war brought with it.

Diana never told her mother this but she enjoyed her duelling and archery lessons far more than her meditation and languages lessons – it was the adrenaline she felt when she bested an experienced elder in a sword fight or when she drove an arrow through the heart of a harpy with beautiful precision, it was addictive and she loved every moment of it, she almost felt lost without it. As a child, it was hard to understand these feelings and it was even harder to voice them as her mother believed in diplomacy, not violence.

It hadn't always been that way though, she hadn't always been that way – at least that was what she had heard from others. According to the few Amazons who willingly spoke of the past, Hippolyta used to live for battle, prior to Diana it had been her one true love and she was the fiercest warrior of her time. It shocked Diana to hear that her mother, so diplomatic, calm and subdued was once so fierce, feared and battle-hungry and she understood that something must've changed, but nobody said a word and she didn't dare ask her mother.

The Amazons held dark secrets and took them to their grave – a grave that Diana tried to save them from but failed. It would always be Diana's greatest failure – but not her only one, she punished herself every day that she woke and her mother, Philippus, Aella, Mala and the rest of her sisters did not. _You are just a child, you cannot blame yourself_ – those were the words her father said to her when they met for the first time, she guessed as an attempt to temper the flame that burned within her, but those words did nothing for her. She often wondered whether that same flame would ever burn out and she would find some kind of peace within.


	3. Twenty Years

" _How shallow to presume war exists only within the physical world. Battles are waged for mind and soul, where things far from comprehension are confronted."_

― _Christopher Hawke._

* * *

Diana disliked the parties thrown by the Gods; they were excessive, elaborate, sordid and disreputable, and she _mostly_ stayed away from them – but today was different. It was a serious day, a tribute rather than a party, at least for her, she wasn't sure about the others but she knew they would show their faces, either for an opportunity to impress Zeus or for the free wine and food.

She didn't want the others involved, as most of them turned their backs on her when she needed them, when Zeus needed them, even some chose to help the other side of the war for their own personal, childish reasons yet they would come, pay their fake respects and leave only to continue being fake, selfish, conceited individuals.

Zeus was far more forgiving than she was, Diana knew how to keep a grudge – maybe it was because she was new to the games and antics of the Gods as she was just thirty seven years old which was young compared to the lifespans of the Gods which went back centuries but it was something that she never wanted to get used to. She kept herself to herself and she appeared to be cold, stand off-ish, but being selfish, fake, self-centred and arrogant were not in her nature. She did not like those traits in others either.

She did not view herself as a God, although by name she was the Goddess of War – it was a title she had held for 20 years, she enjoyed the new powers it brought but she tried to not let it define her. It made sense that she would become the Goddess of War, seeing as war had played heavy roles in her life and she had been trained for it since she could walk and talk but as she stated before, she was in a battle to not let it define her and control her identity. She was an Amazon – her father was a God, she held God-like abilities, but she was always going to be an Amazon and nothing else. She did not belong nor fit into this world her father had created, he had spent 27 years trying to make her comfortable but this wasn't her home and it was never going to be.

"Diana, are you ready?" She heard a soft, yet masculine voice announce from outside her room.

She took one look at herself in the mirror, she was dressed in a floor-length, black tunic with high leg slits, a gold ceremonial cape that had been gifted to her by her father hung from her regal shoulders, the bracelets gifted to her by Hephaestus on her 20th birthday as a replica of the Amazons' bracelets of submissions shun on her wrists and the crown that had once belonged to her mother sat on top of her head of ebony curls – it was the only item she had other than the lasso of truth that belonged to her mother. She only wore it on special occasions, when she needed her mother's spirit and strength – today was one of those days.

"I'm coming," Diana called back, concluding that she looked appropriate for the day.

She opened the door to find Hermes stood there in his usual garb, except that it was black to match Diana's. He gave her a quick up and down look, although Diana felt as if it lingered at her legs and lips. She didn't quite understand Hermes and his intentions even after all these years, as a child he was not interested in her and she barely saw him around. As soon as the war ended, he changed and from that point on Diana could never figure out whether he had romantic feelings towards her or whether he was trying to fill the space Athena left when she died but either way, she was not interested. Brother and sister relationships were seen as conventional on Olympus but Diana didn't feel comfortable with that idea, she didn't feel comfortable with the idea of her being in a romantic relationship with anyone and she did not need anyone to fill Athena's space, not that they could if they tried.

"You look beautiful, Diana," He smiled at her, placing his hand on her arm but as soon as he noticed the look of antipathy on her face, he withdrew it _fast_.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, opening his mouth to continue before Diana signalled with her hand for him to stop.

"It's fine, let's just make our way downstairs," Diana offered.

It was not that Diana disliked Hermes, she could tolerate him and he had fought on the _right_ side of the war but she was not interested in him, or his compliments, or his company.

"How have you been? I have not seen you for some time," Hermes asked

"I have been fine, and yourself?" Diana responded

"I have been well, but I feel much better now that I am home and to come home on such a special day – time is not something we respect on Olympus because we have so much of it but ever since you arrived, we have come to think of time differently and I believe without you, Zeus would not have commemorated such a day," Hermes smiles sadly

"I did not want a party," Diana states

"Yes, Zeus is attempting to be a good father to you, but you must remember that he was selfish long before you were born and he will continue to be selfish… well, I cannot say until after your death because you are immortal but you understand my point. He is doing this for you, but that selfish part of him had to make it about him, and what he _wants_ or _thinks_ is the best way to do this."

Diana nodded, although she felt her anger boiling beneath the surface – she hated it when the Gods spoke to her as if she was a child, she understood that in their eyes she was and there were many things that she did not know or understand due to her age, she would admit that, but they only spoke to her as if she were a child on things that she knew about, like her father. Yes, they had probably seen his selfish side a lot more than she had, but she knew it was still there – his selfishness joint with her own mothers was the reason why she was alive. Hermes did not do it on purpose, so she would not berate him as she had done to Artemis in the past but it was another reason why he wouldn't be granted the close access he desired from her.

"Let's not talk of Zeus – Diana, I know today isn't going to be easy but –" Hermes began

Diana interrupted, "Today is not the day for digging up old feelings and re-opening old wounds, it has been twenty years and everything I feel about that time in our lives, I have said a hundred times already, there is nothing left to say, today _is_ a day for remembering Athena and paying tribute to her so she is able to rest well in the afterlife,"

"You speak of _old_ wounds, but I believe all of your wounds have remained open, Diana, there is nothing to _re-open_ ,"

Diana spun her body round to face him, "What is your purpose here today, Hermes? What is it that you plan to achieve?"

"Why do you assume I want something of you?"

"I am young, Hermes, but I am not a fool, you wait outside of my room, ask me personal questions and then speak to me about open wounds, _my_ open wounds. You may not be like the others, but you are not innocent."

She saw his eyes falter for a moment, as she stood by, hands on her hips, waiting for his response. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Aphrodite in a glowing silk, white dress, draped in gold, jewels and the finest leather. Aphrodite noticed her too, and it was a fierce stare down, her focus shifting from Hermes' response to wanting to drive Aphrodite's head through any wall. It had been a long time since she had showed her face, and Diana did not understand why she chose to re-emerge on this day.

"Let us go and take our seats," Hermes suggested.

Diana nodded, willingly following him into the hall to find all the other Gods sat in their seats. She could not see Hephaestus but she decided that it was a good thing that he did not show up, due to Aphrodite's sudden reappearance. There was a lot of history there, a lot of regrets, mistakes and sorrow – only on Hephaestus' end though, Aphrodite did not care for him, she did not care for anyone but herself and that _traitor_.

"Diana, Hermes," Zeus nodded, as they took their seats next to him.

She noticed Artemis sat on the other side of him, wearing the same armour she had worn when she fought in the war, just as father was – Diana couldn't help but to giggle at that, after all this time, she was still trying to impress their father and she was still failing. The two had a complicated relationship – as a child growing up on Themisycira, Diana was taught that Artemis was a protector of young girls, a nurturer of young children, that she watched over her and made sure that she would grow up to be a strong woman. Diana believed it too, and Artemis was one of the main Gods she prayed too, but when she was forced to move to Olympus, Artemis was none of those things.

She teased Diana as a child, she and Apollo constantly tried to play tricks on her and challenged her to duels and battles – Artemis was jealous of her and the relationship she had with their father, same way she was jealous of Athena and Zeus' relationship but Diana was just a much easier and smaller target at the time. They had fought many times over the years, drawing blood and cracking bones but neither ever took the step over the line to kill. Diana did not want her dead; she just wanted to be left alone. Artemis did not want her dead; she just wanted a relationship with their father.

They mostly stayed out of each others way, or Diana tried to stay out of Artemis' way but often, when boredom struck her and Apollo, Diana was the first person they thought to come and bother. It was why they had fought so many times – but Diana hadn't lost a fight since she was sixteen.

"Diana, I heard you declined to make a speech and wear your battle armour today," Artemis whispered in her direction

"Yes," Diana responded, without even turning to look in her direction, "Father, I saw Aphrodite outside, what is she doing here?"

Zeus turned to look at his daughter, "All were invited,"

Diana scoffed, "I did not realise that included the one who drove the sword through Athena,"

"All means all, does it not, Diana?" Zeus responded.

Diana didn't want to talk anymore – to anyone. She didn't even want to be around anyone in the room – including her father. She felt physically sick sitting next to him, but she was no child and she was not going to storm out of the room or throw a tantrum. She was going to pay her respects, then leave, maybe return to where she lay her head or maybe she would visit Hephaestus – this day was just as difficult for him, as it was for her. She thought it was a difficult one for her father too – but it was clear he had his own agenda that he did not want to let her in on.

The ceremony lasted no more than an hour – with Zeus' speech on togetherness and solidarity being the longest part. He spoke of his sorrow of losing two children due to unnecessary conflict based on lies, deception and selfishness and his desire for change on Olympus. Diana wanted to believe his intentions were innocent, he was her father and they shared a deep bond, but she wasn't so sure that this "party" was put together in honour of Athena, rather that is was to prepare his soldiers for what was to come – another war perhaps, it would explain why he was so devoted to bringing Olympus together.

It was possible that he wanted to make sure that the next war they entered, whoever it was against, would not be as close as it had been last time. One thing Diana knew for certain was that there was something he was not telling her, and it was feasible that Hermes knew too.

As the festivities began and conversations picked up, Diana attempted to blend into the background, she wanted to observe for a little while before she left – possibly catch a word with Hermes, she would save the conversation she wanted with her father for a later date, when they were alone.

"Diana, it has been a long time," A silky, confident voice appeared at her side

"Poseidon," Diana responded, looking over at the God of the sea for a split second before returning her eyes to the festivities ahead of her

"I am rather surprised to see you here, but I am very glad that you have come to join the party, or at least observe from a distance."

Diana didn't know how to, nor did she want to respond to his comment so took a sip from her wine glass and kept silent. Poseidon held all the traits that she found undesirable in a person; he was selfish, self-centred, self-important, greedy, superficial and power-crazy. He flirted with her each and every time they crossed paths, and seemed to think that one day she would be his wife, that she would belong to him. He almost got hit with the full brunt of her strength when he confessed his intentions to her – Zeus' hand saved him and possibly saved her from trouble that not even he could save her from. Poseidon was known for his short-temper and spiteful nature, she was sure if that punch would've landed, he would've wanted to exact revenge or fight. At the time, she believed she was ready for both, but she was in no position to go against Poseidon, she felt different about that now.

"Ares was just as bad as you at social interaction and gatherings," Poseidon stated

"Do not compare me to him, _ever_ " Diana spat back

"You inherited your title from him, did you not? It makes sense for you both to share similarities,"

Diana sighed, "Why do you want to anger me, Poseidon? Is it because I have rejected you more times than you can count and your ego is hurt? You want me to hit you, hurt you, disrespect you, so you have a reason to come after me?"

"Do not let your title cloud your eyes nor your judgement, I am not here to fight,"

"If you are not here to fight, then what are you here for?"

"I am here for the party, what are you here for?"

"I am here because I do not trust anyof you,"

"That is fine, we do not trust you either."

* * *

Diana left shortly after her conversation with Poseidon, she didn't want to give any of the others, especially Aphrodite, a chance to speak to her and anger her. She would find time to speak with Hermes another time, but she had to get out of that environment, she was stupid to think she could stay and blend into the background. She was the Goddess of War – she attracted conflict and chaos.

"Hephaestus," Diana called out, as she walked down the stairs to his workshop. She had planned on going straight home, but decided that she did not want to be alone with her thoughts. There was not much to do on Olympus, other than toy with the mortals and with each other, something that she and Hephaestus took no pleasure in so they spent a lot of time with each other. Diana considered Hephaestus her best friend, when Athena had been alive he had shared that title with her but now that she was gone – it was just him.

She was just eleven when she met Hephaestus – during her training sessions, she used Athena's swords but they never sat right in her hand and they were not built well enough as Athena didn't care much for swords, she was more of a spear and arrow fighter. Diana knew of Hephaestus, and went to see him about making her a sword with no fear or care about his reputation in Olympus. Initially, he refused to make a sword for a child, but agreed to teach her about weaponry, thus twice a week, she would visit his workshop and he would teach her about his methods, the materials he used and he would even share stories of his upbringing with her. His stories even made her dislike her father for a time, as she could not understand how anyone could be so cruel to someone as nice as Hephaestus – and although he was a man, his kind-hearted nature and peaceful soul reminded Diana of her mother and a bond was created.

"Diana, I did not expect to see you today," Hephaestus spoke as she entered the room, turning his head to watch her walk towards him. His gaze felt different to Hermes', it didn't linger and it felt innocent, observant rather than lustful, even if he thought she was beautiful, he knew that it was a wasted compliment on Diana, as she did not care for such compliments.

"I could not stay much longer and I did not feel like going home," Diana offered

"I'm sorry I did not come and support you, I just…"

Diana rested her hand on his shoulder, "You do not have to apologise nor explain to me, you know I understand,"

"You are the only one that does, that reminds me, I have something for you," Hephaestus smiled, as he shuffled off to the corner of his workshop.

He shuffled back with a large box, handing it to her with a sad smile on his face. The last gift he had made of her was the bracelets inspired by those worn by her sisters, and she hadn't cried since she was a child, but on that day, she had to fight back tears. As she opened the box, she immediately recognised what it was – another replica, but this time, it was one of Athena's signature helmet.

"It is not a replica, Zeus gave it to me, asked if I could make some enhancements and give it to you, said that Athena would've wanted you to have it rather than sit in one of his closets,"

Diana swallowed the lump of spit caught in her throat, she had always admired Athena's helmet as a child, Athena spoke of the many adventures she had with her helmet and how many times it had saved her life. It was a thing of beauty – and she wanted to appreciate the gift, she _did_ appreciate the gift, but it only served to confirm that something or someone was coming in the near future and Zeus wanted everyone, _especially_ Diana to be ready.

"Thank you," Diana whispered, running her fingers down the smooth, indestructible solid gold head of the helmet

"I did not do much to it, as it was in good condition when given to me but it is far more indestructible now, _no_ , it is indestructible."

Diana nodded, taking off her mother's crown for a moment, softly placing it on a wooden table and replacing it with Athena's helmet. It fit her perfectly, covering most of her face but her eyesight was not hindered and she could swiftly turn her head due its lightweight feel – it was perfect. She felt powerful, undefeatable, humbled and blessed to adorn something so important to Athena. It was only around Hephaestus that she could show these moments of weakness, of vulnerability because she trusted him more than anyone, she trusted him not to use these moments against her or take advantage of her vulnerability.

"What is on your mind?" Hephaestus asked, watching Diana have an internal battle in front of his eyes

Diana smiled sheepishly, "Athena mostly, but my mind has been plagued with war recently, being Goddess of War does not afford you much rest or peace of mind,"

"I hear that the mortal world is in chaos,"

Diana chuckled, "When is it never, Hephaestus?"

"You are right, but who are we to judge? Olympus may appear calm on the surface, but there is always conflict, we are never without conflict,"

Diana frowned, "Yes, and I believe there are dark days coming, days that may make us envy the mortals, rather than laugh at them,"

"Why do you say that, Diana? Is there something I should know?"

"Zeus spent most of the ceremony speaking about togetherness and solidarity, and I think we can both agree it is not because he wants peace, he wants soldiers,"

"It would explain why he has decided to give you Athena's helmet after 20 years of holding it, have you spoken to him?"

"No, it wasn't the right time."

It was silent for a few moments as Hephaestus gathered his thoughts – he tried to piece together the little bits of information he did know or had heard through the gossip that enveloped Olympus.

Hephaestus gulped, "Do you think Hera is coming back?"

Diana shook her head, "Hera has no reason to wage a war on Olympus, I doubt we will ever see her again and even if she had ever planned on returning, Ares' demise would've most likely dissuaded her,"

"I do not like the idea of another war," Hephaestus sighed, "I do not like the idea of another war with you on the frontline,"

Diana smiled softly, "I appreciate the concern but I've come to understand and accept that I _am_ war, it will follow me _wherever_ I go until someone drives a sword through my chest,"

Hephaestus frowned in response, "You sound hopeful that one day someone will drive a sword through your chest,"

"I cannot live forever," Diana shrugged

Hephaestus pointed a stubby finger at Diana, "No, you can live forever, you are immortal… you just don't want to,"

"Are you telling me that you want to live forever, down here, in the dark, _alone_?"

"I won't be alone, because I have you," Hephaestus smirked

Diana chuckled, "You think that you are amusing."

Diana allowed herself a few moments of laughter but her mind returned to the serious conversation that they had been having. She did not want to live for thousands of years, with war, loss and destruction always following her – she would much rather sacrifice her own life than see another one she cared for dead. She was a magnet for conflict even before her title of 'Goddess of War', but _now_ she was unsure that she could ever escape it – only in death.

Growing up, Diana had loved the thrill of holding a sword, of shooting an arrow, she still did, she still felt a rush of adrenaline when Hephaestus handed her a new sword or she bested Artemis or Apollo but now she understood why her mother wanted to shield her from war. It is a heavy load to carry – and although she had only been in the centre of two, she felt as if she had fought in a thousand other wars due to the connection she held with the outside world.

It was not something she spoke about _ever_ , to _anyone_ , but she had a mental connection with those lost through conflict or those who had lost others through conflict, she was also mentally present at every conflict, whether it be in 'Mans World' or Olympus – she was never allowed rest. She attempted to tune it all out, but she couldn't. It kept her awake at night and triggered thoughts of the war that brought the end of Themisycira's peace or Athena's death – she could never escape her own conflicts because she was connected to everyone else's. It meant that she had to re-watch the death of her mother, the death of Philippus, Mala and the destruction of her home in her head over and over again every day. It meant that she had to re-watch the death of Athena in her head over and over again every day for the past twenty years. Hephaestus, as close as they were, couldn't even understand how torturous it was for Diana.

Over the years, she had become more and more reclusive, isolated and _wrathful._ She tried to keep herself in check, through meditation and exercises but she was starting to think whether Ares was right – or partly right. He thought that Zeus would change her, but she was starting to think her title, the one she had taken from him, was starting to infiltrate her personality. It was slow, she knew that nobody else would notice it but she felt it.

She could say it all began on the day she lost her mother, and her home but she knew that wasn't the truth. It could've been different, it was an uncertain maybe, but it could've been different, _she_ could've been different but now there was no way out for her – all because of one moment.

It was justice, Diana told herself, she thought she would be able to sleep better at night, escape her nightmares; free herself of her pain if those responsible for all that she had lost tasted the steel of her sword. She trained day and night in search of her goal; it was the only thing that got her out of bed in the mornings. She chose not to have a life outside of training; if she was not training with her father or Athena then she was learning about weaponry from Hephaestus or studying the history of warfare in the vast libraries of Olympus.

Yes, that one moment that changed everything was when she came the 'Goddess of War' and killed Ares – the man that had played a significant role in Hera's assault on Themisycira. She got her hands on him twenty years ago to the day, at the tender age of seventeen but that one moment changed everything, but it also changed nothing.

" _I am a bad man, I do not deserve your mercy so I will not ask for it, I deserve to die, and one day you will understand that so does he, one day you will understand that he is worse than all of us combined– I hope that you see this before he turns you into one of us, before you become a bad person, before there is too much blood on…" but she stuck the blade of Olympus down his throat before he could finish his sentence._

 _At that same moment, Diana heard a loud scream of agony on the other end of the theatre of war and she knew that voice – Athena._

* * *

 **My first official chapter - what do you think?**

 _ **For those asking whether it will be a SM/WW fic, the answer to that is yes and no. It will not be as full on as my other story, it will be a story for any shipper or just a Diana/Wonder Woman fan to read and enjoy but there will be chemistry/hints and I have an idea for the ending, inspired by Kingdom Come.**_


	4. A Prophecy

" _For even the very wise cannot see all ends."_

― _J.R.R. Tolkien_

* * *

It had been a usual day on Paradise Island, the island was awake at dawn, with the usual gathering for morning meditation that Diana was forced to attend every day and afterwards, every one would attend to their jobs if they had one, or complete their own daily tasks. Diana continued on with her classes with her various teachers and was escorted and guarded by Philippus, who occasionally taught her duelling lessons.

She had been horse riding with Mala and Philippus when she heard the first of many arrows strike Hellene in the chest and Melia in the eye at the gates that kept Themisycira guarded from a world on the other side – a world that Diana knew nothing of.

"We are under attack!" Diana screamed, her eyes wide and fierce.

Philippus knew that this was not something Diana would joke about and the three of them rode back to the home of Diana and her mother in record speed, to alert the Queen and to alert the entire island. Diana could remember her adrenaline raising the closer that she got, the faster her horse became – when she arrived, it had spun out of control. She forgot she was a child, she forgot that she was a princess too, all she was in her mind was a warrior born to protect Paradise Island and everything her mother and sisters had spent centuries building. She _needed_ to be a part of this fight.

She would not have her way, as her mother already had a plan set in place for her – she was to follow Philippus and Aella to a safe place and remain there until Themisycira was no longer under attack. She felt so much disdain for her mother in that moment; it was a feeling she would regret for her entire life as the last moment she spent with her mother, she spent _despising_ her. It haunted her for years, it still did sometimes but she had learnt to live with it just as she had learnt to live with every other decision that she had made in her life.

At the time, Diana did not understand why Hippolyta would give up both her army general and royal guardswomen in time of war to protect her, especially when she was far stronger and quicker than the two combined but she was a child, so she went along with it. Philippus and Aella led her far from the trouble – they spent what felt like hours walking through a forest, Aella suggested leaving their horses behind to avoid leaving a trail for their enemy to follow, they eventually came to a lake and there was a secret door at the bottom of this lake that they had to swim to.

As they entered the door, many women greeted them on the other side, but they did not appear to be Amazons, they did not have the confidence, physicality or clothing that the Amazons had. They were dressed in fabrics no good for fighting and did not carry any weapons with them – what shocked her the most was that there were children, much younger than her, being held in their mothers arms or walking beside their mother. As far as Diana knew, there were no children on Themisycira besides her but she was wrong – or she had been lied to.

The women seemed to know who she was at one glance, greeting her with kisses and hugs, reassuring her with words of peace and love. It did not help and only struck fear into her, as she nor Philippus nor Aella had told any of them what was happening out there yet they knew something was wrong and they spoke of it as if it was eventual, as if it had something to do with her. Philippus tried to get her away, but each time another dozen of people would come to place kisses on her, to reassure her and have her greet their children or babies. Diana had never experienced anything of the sort, as to the Amazons she was just Diana and the Bana did not care for her at all – this reaction overwhelmed her and cooled her adrenaline, turning it into fear.

Eventually, she made her way through the crowd of people and was led to a small hut by an elderly woman. They remained there for what felt like hours, Philippus tried to get her to talk but Diana did not care for small talk. Aella tried to get her to drink or eat something, but she knew Diana nor any Amazon needed food or water to survive. She wanted answers to her questions, but she did not know how to ask them – she could not find the words so instead she sat in silence, choosing not to make eye contact with anyone.

It was like that for a few days, with each day that passed, Diana's fingers itched to reach for her dagger and escape this _place_ but she could not fly and she did not want to hurt anyone, especially not Philippus and Aella and she knew they would not let her go without a fight so she sat on her hands and kept her mouth shut. There was a plan to get her away, she could hear some of the other women talking about it, but it never happened, at least not the way they had planned.

* * *

Mount Olympus was the highest mountain in all Olympus; it stood so tall that there was not a part of the land that you could not see from it. Diana used to gaze at the beautiful view from her bedroom balcony as a child, she thought the more she stared at its beauty, the more connected she would feel with the place and she would begin to feel like it was home – that feeling never came.

The palace Zeus called home was just as beautiful as the views from Diana's bedroom window, with marble floors, solid gold dome towers, ostentatiously detailed pillars, white stone walls, mahogany stair rails carved and polished to perfection, family portraits and historic paintings hung in gold frames, marble sculptures and exotic furniture with intricate designs. Zeus took pride in his home and it was nothing short of breathtaking.

Diana left twelve years ago to a more solitary, quiet part of Olympus, much to her father's consternation but he could not stop her. It was something that she needed to do for many reasons, reasons that he could not understand so she told him that she wanted privacy. Privacy was only a small reason to why she wanted to move out, but he did not ask anymore questions, took her word as the complete truth and let her go, he even offered to help her decorate her new home in the style of Themisyciran architecture, but she declined his offer.

He hadn't seen or been to her place, even after twelve years, she knew he would be in shock if he saw how she was living and would have many questions that Diana did not want to answer so she kept him away. Hephaestus had never seen her place either, but he rarely left his own underground chamber so Diana didn't have to make any excuses.

She visited her father often, for dinner or for uncomplicated, easy conversation. They did not have the kind of relationship where they spoke of their feelings, flaws or mistakes, but that did not mean that they had a bad relationship. They had a good relationship, one of understanding and mutual respect. Diana loved her father, he saved her from Hera's wrath and although she would've happily died at her mother's side, she was grateful that he saved her life. It was difficult at times, as he wasn't versed in fatherhood, he had a lot of children but had no idea what it meant to be a father but he raised her as best he could.

"Father," Diana called out, addressing the man sat on the throne. He always looked so regal, powerful, _intimidating_ when sat on the throne. He was a towering 7 feet tall, and it did not help that the throne was raised on marble slates so that you had to look up to him.

He understood how close he had come to being dethroned when Ares had returned, since that day; he did not take any chances, imposing his power and authority at every and any opportunity. Diana _still_ felt he had been soft on the others, especially one person in particular, but he was King and he didn't have to answer to her nor take her advice.

"Diana, I was wondering when you would come to see me,"

"We did not depart on the best of terms on the day of Athena's memorial, or _party_ should I say,"

"You are upset with me," He stated

Diana shook her head, "I am not upset with you, I simply dislike being left in the dark, we are father and daughter but I also consider us allies, partners."

Yes, they were allies and Diana had come to realize that the word _ally_ was far more important than blood on Olympus. Diana had fought tirelessly in the last war Olympus had seen, killed many to protect Zeus, even Ares died by her hand, she did not like using that as leverage but she would do what she had to do to get the answers she looked-for. _That_ was something her father had taught her.

Zeus sighed, "I had my reasons,"

Diana looked at him blankly, "What was Aphrodite doing there?"

"If you think I have forgiven her, you are mistaken, but I am the King of Olympus _before_ I am a grieving father and I understand that she is needed, a vital piece in Olympus,"

"Why has she returned after twenty years, and on _that_ day?"

"I asked her to."

Diana felt her anger boiling too close to the surface, and her fists clenched up even as much as she tried to fight it. She knew why he had lied to her, as she would've killed Aphrodite the first chance she got twenty years ago, even ten years ago and for whatever reason, her father needed her alive. She tried to cool her anger and let the rationality win this round, but her irrational and wrathful side was fighting very hard. It was the inner battle that she often had with herself, with each year it got worse but she was still winning – almost.

Diana spoke through clenched teeth, "You told me you did not know where she had run to,"

"You would have gone to kill her,"

"Yes, why didn't you? You speak of vengeance, _justice,_ is it not justice if she perishes by the same sword she executed Athena with?"

"Not every death must be avenged, Diana. I am King of Olympus, and my job is to protect Olympus so we remain strong and prosperous…" He paused, as if his voice was caught in his throat, "I knew that Aphrodite's death would pose far more severe consequences than Athena's – she was loved by us, but she was only a small part in Olympus' wellbeing, she was not the force she once was."

Diana felt her expression darken with intensity, her eyes flickering white, her temper getting the better of her. _How dare he say that? How dare he say that to me?_ She knew of Zeus' cold, callous nature, she had seen it before, but _never_ when it came to her or Athena. It hurt, but she wasn't going to admit that to him, she wasn't going to admit that to anyone.

Diana felt her temper calm, "You haven't answered my original question – why is she back after twenty years and why on that day?"

Zeus looked away from her, "Her disappearance has bore catastrophic consequences for us all, I _tried_ to have her return before but she was in mourning, she loved _him_ , and she also loved Athena."

Diana almost scoffed, but kept silent, deciding not to show Zeus anymore of her emotions today – he did not deserve them after his comment on Athena. He deserved to be shut out, like she shut out the rest of them.

"As hard as that is for you to believe, she loved Athena, and she loves you too, she is Goddess of Love, her love for others knows no bounds or limitations but she needed time to remember that, to forgive herself for what she had done, and to mourn what she had lost… she lost her way as many of us do," Zeus stood up, walking towards her, "She knows better than anyone that without love, chaos and hatred prevails,"

Diana took a few steps back, "What is your point, _father_?"

"My point is… without her, there is no balance, there is just…"

Diana interrupted, "War."

Her voice came out as a whisper, as she processed the information that her father was giving her. She figured that War was coming, the signs were clear for the Goddess of War to see – the mortals had descended into chaos, Zeus' speech, the gathering of all the Gods and Goddesses _by_ Zeus and his gift of Athena's helmet. War was a natural thing to her, she knew chaos and conflict followed her, but she didn't think it could stem from her. She didn't think she was the walking, living, breathing embodiment of chaos and hatred, she held contempt for individuals and _life_ most of the time but she didn't think that she could _be_ hate or chaos. Ares deserved what happened to him, but if she had known what this title entailed, she would've placed the blade in Zeus or Athena's hand and had either of them kill him.

Zeus was now stood in front her, "There is a prophecy, Diana, I know not all prophecies come to light, but this one? It feels _strong_."

Diana couldn't open her mouth to talk, she couldn't even nod or gesture for him to continue – she was as stiff as a board trying to firm the whirlpool of emotions within her at that very moment.

Zeus continued, "Aphrodite's disappearance and lack of interference has steered the mortals to chaos and conflict, there is much devastation and it is unstable, I know you must feel it, in your power levels and in your mind.

There are many in the outside world trying to fan the flames, keep the mortals safe and living in relative peace … they are losing the battle, they are losing the battle _to you_ Diana, you are stronger than you even know.

The combination of the chaos imparted on Earth and the emergence of these _superheroes_ , as the mortals call them, has attracted others from worlds far from here, often to their own peril, but there is one, Diana. Earth has attracted the attention of one, who has the power to wipe us all out, Gods and mortals."

Diana _did_ know how strong she was, it was for that reason that she did not interfere with the mortals as the other Gods frequently did. She believed her mental connection with the mortals to be one way, rather than both ways. She did not know she could influence _them_ and _their_ choices, she didn't think she could influence a whole world, she believed that they only had power over _her_ mind and _her_ power levels – she was disastrously wrong.

Her eyes slowly turned to her father – he must've known. He must've had an idea, but he didn't tell her. Why didn't he tell her? She wanted to be angry with him, shower him with the lightning she got from his part of her DNA but there was a larger issue at hand – the death of everyone, by one hand. Diana did not know fear herself, but she could see it in others and for the first time ever, she saw fear in father's eyes. If this individual could strike fear into her father, then it was someone Diana knew not to take lightly.

Diana swallowed her anger, "Who is it?"

Zeus returned to his seat, "Did I ever tell you the story of the New Gods?"

"Athena used to tell me stories about them as a child,"

He nodded, "So you know of their creation and how they differ to us?"

"Yes, _who is it?_ " Diana repeated once more

"A New God called Darkseid, he is the ruler of a planet called Apokolips, although I do not know whether it can be called a planet, rather it is a ecumenopolis with burning firepits,"

"What else do you know of him?" Diana questioned

"I do not know much, all I know is that he is coming," Zeus shrugged

"We are supposed to walk blindly into a fight with someone who has the power to destroy us all?" Diana responded incredulously

"He has sent his followers to Earth, each of them leaving behind something called a MotherBox… I believe that is the key to knowing what we are up against,"

"You want me to travel to Earth and collect them," Diana stated

"Yes, I believe you are the one most qualified for the job,"

Diana shook her head; "You mean I am the only one who would actually do your dirty work for you… _again_ ,"

Zeus frowned, "Diana…"

She raised her hand to stop him from continuing, "I want you to know that I am not doing this for you, I am doing this for everyone _but_ you."

Diana spat out her words in his direction, she had never felt more betrayed and disappointed in her life. Her sisters taught her as a child than men only brought disappointed and betrayal, she believed them then as she had no contact with men at that age but then she met her father and Hephaestus. She began to think that her sisters were wrong, but it was possible that Hephaestus was just the exception to the rule. It burnt her chest to realize that maybe her father was no better than his brothers, no better than the men that destroyed Themisycira with their bare hands with help from another man, Ares.

It was also possible that it wasn't just a problem amongst men that it was the Gods that there was nothing inherently good about them and the humans deserved more. They definitely deserved more than her, as she was the root of their current problem and they would see dark times because of her and what her powers had attracted. A world without the Gods – Diana wondered what it would look like. After they defeat this Darkseid, maybe it would be wise for Diana to kill them all herself one by one and then kill herself.

Zeus interrupted Diana's train of thought, "Yes, I had a small inkling that you were linked to the chaos in the outside world, that you were far more powerful than Ares _without_ the conflict on your side, but how as a father could I speak this to his daughter? You have always had more _feelings_ than the rest of us, you _feel_ and if I would've told you that men, women and children are dying indirectly because of you, what would you have done? You already punish yourself for things you could not stop, for the deaths of people you could not save, I believe this would've pushed you over the edge."

"Why tell me now? Why do you think I am more capable of handling this information now?"

"I do not care about the mortals, nor their future, but I care about Olympus' future and your future, so I kept it from you to protect you. Now I know that the chaos that the mortals are living in will affect us, that it will affect you, I can't hide it anymore, now it is my concern,"

"When did you learn of this prophecy?"

"Six months ago, a woman came to me…"

Diana interrupted, "And you have sat on this information since,"

Zeus shook his head, "No, I have been strategizing,"

"You have been strategizing _without_ the Goddess of War," Diana scoffed, "No wonder all you have come up with is an awful speech at Athena's memorial party and sending me to gather these Mother Boxes,"

Zeus sighed, "We should talk when you return, I think you need some time."

He was dismissing her and although Diana did not like that he was dismissing her, even she could see that this conversation was not going anywhere and she was becoming tired of talking and holding back her anger. For once, Diana wished that Artemis or Apollo tried to play their games with her today, she had a lot of anger to unleash and she wasn't sure a sparring session would help.

She felt physically tense, but psychologically tired – it was a lot of information to take in at once and on top of her ongoing battles to stay _sane_ , she wasn't sure how she was going to handle it all but she had to. She would take the time out to learn to; because if this prophecy were true, the world would need her… maybe entering their world would supply her with a much-needed distraction. She had never spoken to a mortal, nor been around one, so she was going to learn much about them. She knew that they lived differently to the Gods, that they used devices and spoke words and languages not common to Diana.

For all the bad that Diana had brought into their world, she wondered how much of it belonged to them. She could not be responsible for all the evil that resided in their world, she had been taught stories of the history of 'Mans World' as a child – it was not a pretty one although it had it's _pretty_ moments. She knew that they were still capable of good; these _superheroes_ were proof of that but it did make Diana question whether the majority was worth saving, those people had never known peace, and even in her death were they capable of it? She knew it wasn't her choice to make, neither was she in a position to judge, how could she when her heart was far from pure and clean of all wrongdoing.

 _Mother, guide me. I need your guidance more than I have ever needed it. I have never needed this one thing before, but I also need your assurance. Assure me that I am doing the right thing, assure me that I will be okay, assure me that everything will be okay, assure me that I can make it through this and so will those who deserve to, assure me that I even deserve to make it through this, assure me that my heart is still good, assure me that I am still your daughter, and I have not become only his._


	5. Mission

" _The heart of mine is only one, it cannot be known by anybody but myself"_

 _Jun'ichiro Tanizaki_

* * *

"I asked him to send me instead of you," Hermes announced as Diana exited Mount Olympus.

His presence startled her, he was still the only person that could creep up on her without her knowing – and he loved to do it often as if he took pleasure in her surprise every time. Diana wanted to be annoyed with him, not just for sneaking up on her once again but he had just admitted that he was a guilty party in all of this, that he too had kept this from her and knew what was to come and why, but she was far too tired to argue with anyone else, in fact she craved her bed and the solitude of her home.

"I believe you," Diana mumbled, not even turning her head to look at him.

If he was not going to offer up his body as a punching bag, then Diana had no interest in remaining in his presence. He loved to talk, offer sweet words and compliments to her, but she was not interested, she was never interested in his words, they never gave her any comfort. She just wanted to be left alone, until the time came for her to venture out into the world.

"Diana," Hermes moved in front of her to block her path

"Hermes, I am not in the mood, so unless you want to feel the brunt of my frustration then I suggest you move out of my way,"

"Whether you want to believe it or not, I care about you, I haven't always been there for you, for reasons that I cannot confess, but I have always watched over you and I will continue to do so, there is so much wrong with Olympus, including myself, but you are different, even when you don't believe that you are, you are the reason why I have hope, I just want you to not give up that hope in yourself, be safe on your travels and I will not be far from you, I never have been."

Before Diana could say anything, Hermes had disappeared from her sight. She wasn't sure what she would've said to that, as it was the last thing that she expected from Hermes. She wasn't entirely sure that she believed what he had just said, living on Olympus can make an individual extremely paranoid but there was a part of her that wanted to believe he was being genuine. She wanted to believe that there was more than one person that cared about her in the world, it was terribly lonely to only be able to rely on one person. She thought Zeus was someone she could rely on, someone to have her best interests in the root of all his actions but she was wrong. All that was left was Hephaestus but he hadn't left his den in centuries. Diana never thought about how lonely her life actually was, she was never one to sit around and feel sorry for herself, but at this moment, she couldn't shield herself from the pain of being away from those who loved her.

"I must leave tonight," Diana whispered to herself.

She didn't want to be on Olympus any longer, she knew that the answer to her problems wasn't out there with the mortals but she needed a distraction. She decided that she was not going to say farewell to Hephaestus before she left, he'd only attempt to convince her to stay or make her feel bad for leaving. She knew it was because he cared, and that filled her heart with the uncommon love and joy she rarely felt but she couldn't handle more emotions today. She'd write him a letter, letting him know that she would be been gone for time, how much she cared for him and that she would return very soon and they would catch up over wine. She'd pass it to one of the birds to deliver, as she trusted nobody else to deliver it without looking inside.

As Diana arrived at her home, she noticed a large package for her placed at her door. She picked it up and brought it inside, resting it on her table as she poured herself a glass of water. The note on the front was written in Hermes' handwriting, it didn't say anything other than 'be safe'. She wondered if he dropped this off before she had her conversation with Zeus or afterwards, it didn't matter Diana concluded. Inside was clothing and footwear not of Olympus, a set of keys with a location attached on a sheet of paper, currency and four different maps with specific locations circled, she guessed that the circled locations were where the technology she had to collect were being held. She would have to research these locations once she arrived, whether there would be any threats to her mission, either from this Darkseid himself or these superheroes Zeus spoke of.

She wondered what these superheroes were like, whether they were Gods of other planets or mortals attempting to make their world better. She wondered what threats they fought and whether they were always victorious. She wanted to know more about them as individuals, what made them want to join the fight, what was their mission, what was their purpose in life and whether they'd die achieving it. Growing up, her mother taught her that one of the most important things about being hero was sacrifice – what did they have to sacrifice to fight their battles? Would they sacrifice their lives?

It was all rather interesting to her, as the Amazons hid from the outside world and therefore avoided trouble and the Olympians were self-serving. The Amazons had been heroes once, fighting for the greater good and protecting those who could not protect themselves, but man had made them turn their back on the world and hide away to heal themselves of the wounds inflicted upon them by the world of man. Diana had never judged her sisters or her mother for doing so, but she had always wondered what it would take for them to return to fighting the battle against evil – it was only until evil found them once again that they had picked up their swords. Her mother had taught her to never go looking for a fight, to only pick up her fists to protect herself, but she had always wondered what about protecting others?

Diana shook her head, she wasn't sure why she had taken this train of thought. Darkseid might be the larger enemy in all of this, but that didn't mean Diana wasn't an enemy either. She was the reason why Darkseid had taken an interest in Earth, so she wasn't innocent in this. She had chosen to kill Ares and there was a part of her that didn't regret it, that wouldn't change what happened. The relief that came from watching him die before her was ever so satisfying, but it didn't last. Diana thought that the satisfaction would last and there was a chance she could possibly live a normal life, without the anger that had built up inside of her as a child through to her teenage years but all her new title did was feed off that anger and make her more powerful than she or anyone else had ever imagined.


	6. The World of Man

" _Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice"_

 _\- Robert Frost_

* * *

It was oddly beautiful. It wasn't the obvious, ethereal beauty that Themisycira was nor the in your face, obnoxious beauty that Olympus was – Man's world was a subtle beauty. She wasn't sure what she expected on her arrival, but not what she was greeted with. The streets were filled with lights, varied groups of people and smells unusual to her. She spent hours exploring her new home, with each area different to the next – she could tell that certain areas had been ignored, that backs had been turned on some areas and they were left to fend for themselves.

She tried not to think about it too much. Her mother spoke of the pain that was present in the outside world, but she had never seen it for herself. She had read a book once on the famous battles of 'Man's World', although they had been filled with death and loss, the book focused more on strategy and the glory of winning in combat.

Mala gave her that book although she wasn't supposed to have it, in fact nobody was meant to have that book. She guarded it with her life, knowing that if her mother caught her with it, she would know Mala gave it to her. Mala always had her head buried in a book, but that did not mean she did not know how to wield a sword – in fact it made her one of the best warriors on Themisycira. Diana believed her to be the smartest of her sisters, although she was not on the royal guard, she and Philippus were close so often went over strategy together. Diana loved nothing more than sitting in on those conversations, looking back, she learnt a lot from eavesdropping on those two.

Diana did not like to think of the past, but for the past few days, it was all that was on her mind. She guessed that it had something to do with her mission and her venture into the outside world, as a child she dreamed about entering the world and fighting the pain of this world away. As a child, she believed that everything could be solved with love _and_ her sword. She learnt quickly that that wasn't true.

Now she was here for the first time, it reminded her of how much she had changed from that ambitious, lively young girl who just wanted to be on the good side of history. It made her think of her life on Themisycira, all those memories she had fought hard to forget were coming back to her but when she was done reliving the good memories, when she was done smiling and laughing to herself, she was reminded that they were dead, that they were taken from her and she didn't even fight for them.

She was reminded of how many times she had tried to take her own life out of guilt that she had survived and they had not, of how many times Athena and Zeus had to save her from herself, of how many times she punched until her knuckles were bloody and kicked until she was bruised or broken thinking about revenge.

"Miss, do you want the newspaper or not?" A voice woke her out of her trance.

Diana nodded, handing over the money, grabbing the newspaper almost franticly and storming out as quick as she could. As soon as she was outside, she took a deep breath, resting her head against the brick of the store, trying to calm herself down. She did not need to lose control, not right now, not on her first day.

"Hey, are you okay?" A feminine voice asked.

Diana opened her eyes with a deep sigh. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone since arriving, not even if they had spoken to her, as her mission was to keep a low profile and not bring any attention to herself. She would have to bring down the 'Justice League' single-handedly, so the little they knew of their opponent, the easier it would be to bring them down so she just nodded in response and began to walk off.

She finally made it to the place she would be staying during the mission – a small place above a shop that sold food that originated in the country of China. It was in a good enough location, populated enough that if the Justice League ever found out where she was staying, they wouldn't want to engage in battle due to the number of civilians. She had a good view from her window, just in case anyone was spying on her. Her room wasn't facing the main street. The building didn't draw attention to itself. It was a good choice.

Diana did not have much belongings with her, only things that she deemed crucial for her mission and day-to-day life so she did not have much to unpack. The room came with basic necessities and that was all she'd need. As she sat down at the desk, she opened up the newspaper she had rolled up out of frustration. She had purposely picked the one with this 'Superman' on the cover. Just from walking around the city for the day, she had come to understand that he was the one the people trusted and admired the most, which meant that he was most likely the most powerful member as men have always been attracted to power. With a name like Superman, it was no surprise that he was the most powerful member of this team.

She sat down on the rickety wooden chair in the kitchen area of her new home, opening up the newspaper to the page about the Justice League. It was an article by a woman called Lois Lane – _Can the Justice League still save the World? Superman's first interview in over 2 years._ Diana began reading very closely, just from the words being used, Diana could tell that this Lois Lane and Superman had somewhat of a close relationship. There was a reason why he had given her his first interview in such a long time, maybe she knew him better than these other writers and trusted her to paint the correct picture.

 _After the Justice League defeated Braniac, there were whispers among many notable figures that Superman wasn't the same. The whispers became louder when he stepped down as leader of the Justice League and was replaced by Black Canary. The whispers became full blown conversations when months went by and Superman hadn't released any statements to the press. Government officials found it more difficult to reach him and whenever the Justice League was asked about him by the press, they offered a very safe and very bland response, "He is still a fully-fledged member of the Justice League and is still vital in our mission to keep the world safe."_

 _Their statement was not wrong – to those in need, it seemed as if Superman was working harder than ever. He was still spotted all over the world and to those he had saved, he was just as polite, just as caring and just as important. News outlets were constantly searching for these people who had been saved or helped by Superman, to see if he had said anything of importance to any of them - some chose to sell their story, some gave it for free and others declined to share their experience with Superman._

 _Despite being a hero for almost ten years, he is just as special and just as important to so many of us, especially during a time of so much chaos and uncertainty. An underqualified celebrity is sitting in our White House, high unemployment, growing child poverty, increasing levels of crime, international conflicts, environmental disasters and a growing feeling of division – and that is just the United States of America._

Diana closed her eyes for a moment, urging the weird feeling that had just come over her to disappear. She understood that no one was perfect and that creates an imperfect world, but for years, this Justice League seemed to be able to contain those who preferred chaos and the Gods of Olympus felt safe enough that they kept their distance. Every single loss of life is sad but death is inevitable – it is just the way of life. Not everyone can be wealthy – it is just the way of life. Peace is admired, but not easily sustained. Even the Gods, with all their riches and power cannot sustain peace. Man, or God – it is impossible for everyone to want the same thing, to believe in the same thing and to live the same way.

Despite knowing all of this, it didn't take away from the fact that Diana's influence was causing the increase in chaos and uncertainty this Lois Lane speaks of. It doesn't change the fact that Darkseid is coming to end it all.

 _Superman reached out initially – not through the Justice League, but him directly. You could imagine my shock when I picked up the phone and I heard that iconic, burly voice on the other end of the phone but there was something different about his voice this time. There was a nervousness I had never heard from Superman before, an almost shaky element to it but as the conversation continued, he calmed._

 _He wanted to talk to me, I asked him about what and his response was everything. I didn't know what that meant, but I agreed to meet him the next day to talk. I'd like to add that he offered to meet the next day, he said he wanted to get things off his chest and it couldn't wait._

 _We met the next day in a secret location, to which he flew me to another secret location – somewhere that means a lot to him, he told me. We talked informally for a while, about life, about America, about the future and then I asked him he was ready to begin to which he responded he thought we already had. I burst out laughing, if you would've seen his face, you would've understood why but I quickly took out my recorder and began asking the questions everyone wanted to know._

 _ **How has things been for you since the Braniac invasion?**_

 _It has been difficult for the entire Justice League, but I felt a level of guilt nobody could understand because they didn't have someone in their mind, controlling their every move. I became a tool in someone's quest to take over the planet – the planet that I love. I turned on the friends that I love. I haven't been able to forgive myself._

 _ **Is that why you took a step back from the limelight?**_

 _I didn't feel worthy of being the leader of the Justice League. I didn't even feel worthy of being Superman so yes, I took a step back._

 _ **Did the Justice League try and stop you?**_

 _Honestly, no. It wasn't because anyone blamed me, but it was because they could see I was not the same person I was before. Over the years, I have become weary, sometimes tired but the Braniac Invasion broke me. I stopped taking care of myself and I went into pilot mode, so when I decided to step down, everyone knew it was the best decision._

 _ **You never left the Justice League?**_

 _No. That is not true._

 _ **So, in the years prior to Braniac, you admit to feeling weary and tired, is it because of the immense pressure on you and the Justice League?**_

 _Any hero, Justice League affiliated or not will tell you that crime-fighting or just helping citizens of the world had become much more overwhelming. There was never a quiet night, for a while I felt like I was only Superman and not just a man, I tried to fight that feeling the best I could._

 _ **You see yourself as just a man?**_

 _I used to, but I realised that I'm not just a man and to believe that, I am only fooling myself. All I've ever wanted my entire life is to be a regular guy who does good, but I'm not a regular guy. I'm an alien from Krypton with a responsibility larger than anyone will ever know._

 _ **You admit to feeling the pressure of this responsibility?**_

 _Yes. Every hero does. We feel responsible for any harm that comes to this world, whether it is an old woman getting robbed or an invasion from another planet, because we feel as if we have the power to stop it all, but we can't. We can't be everywhere all the time, so we are always going to miss something and there is always going to be someone angry that we did._

Just as Diana began to turn the page, she heard two people walking towards her door – a small woman and child no older than four or five. Diana was not told to expect anyone, nor did she want to make any friends whilst here. She didn't have the time for friendships or exploring – she was here to complete a mission and if she failed, she couldn't guarantee the survival of this world or hers. As much as she despised Olympus and the pompous people that resided there, it was her home and she would do anything to protect it.

As the small woman knocked on the door, Diana cautiously opened it with a small knife tucked in the back of her trousers.

"Hey, wow, okay, didn't expect you to open the door that fast," The small woman stammered, "Well, I just wanted to say hey, introduce myself… and my daughter wanted to come along, we saw you downstairs and she said she wanted to say hello to the woman with the pretty hair."

Diana wasn't sure what to respond with. She didn't want to be rude, nor did she want to be friendly and share any information about herself.

"Thank you," Diana stated

"Are you a princess?" The child asked, looking up at Diana with wide, brown eyes

Diana shook her head with a smile, "No, I am not a princess." _Not anymore._

"I didn't even tell you my name, I'm Sandra and my little girl's name is Jenny,"

Diana hesitated, "My name is Diana,"

"It's been just me, Jenny and the old grump who lives upstairs for months, it's nice to have someone else move in,"

"The old grump?" Diana enquired

"Oh, Seth… you haven't met him yet?"

Diana shook her head.

"Oh, well he is the father of our landlord, he rarely comes out other than to moan but if you hear shouting on a Friday, that is normally him shouting at the football game,"

"Interesting," Diana responded.

It was silent for a few seconds, she wasn't sure what else there was to be said and the young girl was looking up at her with so much adoration and innocence that it was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. It reminded her too much of when she was a young girl, of how she used to look up at her mother.

"I have to return back inside," Diana spoke

"Oh, okay, well, it was nice meeting you and if you ever need anything, even just a chat, we're just across the hall," Sandra smiled.

Diana nodded her head and closed the door as quick as she could, letting out a deep sigh as soon as she heard them walking back to their door.

She couldn't understand why the gaze of that young girl had affected her so much, she couldn't understand why Man's World was bringing out emotions and memories in her that she had done so well to supress. It was kind of this woman to offer her assistance but Diana did not be around much longer. She could tell that this woman was looking for a friend, despite not overstaying her welcome, there was a look in her eyes that pleaded for Diana to keep the conversation going, for her to display more than just friendly politeness. Unfortunately for Sandra, Zeus hadn't sent Aphrodite, he sent Diana and all she could see was a mission to be completed.

Diana returned to her chair and began reading the interview from where she had been interrupted. She had to admit, it was rather interesting – this Superman was a rather interesting character. It was evident that he and the Justice League had been through a lot during their years a heroes – 10 years was a long time to do the same thing every day, especially when it often felt like the world wasn't changing for the better. She admired his and the Justice League's persistence, they were truly dedicated to their mission – she almost felt bad that she would have to hurt them.

There was a small part of Diana that wished she could sit down with them and persuade them to handover what she had been sent for so they could work together in the future against Darkseid. It was what her mother would suggest she do, she always believed in diplomacy – even when other Amazons, especially her Aunt Antiope disagreed. Her mother encouraged she be taught history and languages before being taught how to wield a sword – she would be so disappointed.

 _ **Superman, you aren't every hero, you are the strongest and most powerful one of them all, you must feel a greater responsibility than them all?**_

 _We all share the same mission._

 _ **Yet you are the one called on the most…**_

 _I know what you're trying to do, Lois._

 _ **We all know Superman to be selfless, to put others before himself, to never think of himself as stronger or more important than anyone else, but does he never want to be a little selfish, to put himself first, to realise that he is stronger than everyone else and that makes him different to every other hero and human being?**_

 _I know I'm different to everyone else, that is why I have to be selfless, it is why I must put others before myself and to never think of myself as more important than anyone else. When you hold so much power, power that can be abused, you have to hold yourself to a higher standard than everyone else, you can't afford to think or act like everyone else._

 _ **It is very clear to me that you blame yourself for the Braniac Invasion? That the only way for you to process everything was to become Superman all the time, because when you act like a man, you are punished…**_

 _I do blame myself, I have been trying to battle with that blame since that very day and I have not won. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself for what happened, for how many lives were lost, for how many lives were affected by my actions, even if I wasn't in complete control._

 _In the years prior to the invasion, the world was becoming more violent, more unstable and so to cope with that, I got a girlfriend, I bought a house, I tried to start a family. In the time when I was supposed to be more available, when I was supposed to step up and take charge as the Leader of the Justice League, all I wanted to do was be at home with my family, hiding from the world and its issues. I never did hide, but I wanted to so when Braniac arrived, I was weaker than I should've been, I should've been stronger, the Justice League should've been stronger but I was complacent for some time because I wanted to believe I could be a man and Superman at the same time._

 _ **You still believe you can't be a man and Superman at the same time?**_

 _No._

 _ **What happened to the girlfriend, to the house, to the family you wanted to start?**_

 _I had to let it go._

 _ **You've given up on it all?**_

 _Yes. I had to._

 _ **You had to so you could focus on being Superman?**_

 _I had to so I could focus on being the best version of myself. I can't let the world down again. I have to be ready for whatever is next._

 _ **How did your girlfriend feel about this?**_

 _She was upset. She didn't understand, I'm not sure that she ever will. She always felt like she was competing with the world for my attention, for my love and she hated it. She wanted to be the priority in my life and I couldn't give her that so it was unfair to keep her from someone who could give her everything I never could._

 _ **Do you think you made the right choice?**_

 _Yes. One day she'll have a family with someone else and she'll be grateful that the Justice League saved the world so her kids have the chance to grow up._

Diana skimmed over the rest, it was mostly about his newfound role within the Justice League and what the future held for Superman. It was a very interesting interview and she had definitely learnt a lot, not just about who he was as a person, but also how challenging her mission was about to be. He had sacrificed living a normal life, to dedicate himself solely to being a hero with no distractions. She could respect that and it meant that she was going to face a much more calculated, stronger, agile fighter than she would have a couple months ago. He was definitely going to be a thorn in her side.

Even though it made her mission much harder, Diana was excited to face them – especially Superman. She was tired of practicing her abilities and skills against Artemis and Apollo – they were too predictable and easy for Diana to defeat. The Justice League were a new opponent and she had never been up against so many people with such different abilities just on her own. It would not only be a physical test, but a test of intelligence and strategy. She would not be able to defeat them just by strength or physicality, she would need to have an impeccable strategy and prey on their weaknesses. She was sure each of them had weaknesses, just as they had strengths and she would do anything to find them.

After sitting with her thoughts for a while, she decided to take a walk. It was late and the air cool, giving her a chance to breath. She rarely slept as she did not need to sleep, as a child she loved nothing more than the bedtime stories her mother would tell her and the dreams that followed. Now, all sleep meant were nightmares and distress. She would rather not have her building shake due to her attempting to fight Hera and Ares in her sleep – she didn't want to unnecessarily harm anyone during her stay in Man's World, especially not Jenny or Sandra.

She was staying in Washington D.C., no more than an hour walk from the Hall of Justice although she had found out that they actually worked from a building in the sky nicknamed 'The Watchtower' – the Hall of Justice was used as a base for younger heroes, press conferences and free tours for the public. She decided to continue walking until she reached the Hall of Justice – even at night, there was security guarding the building and she guessed that they also had security that you couldn't see with your eyes. There were still people walking past, looking up at this big, royal-esque building, gawking at the images of the heroes they admired so much.

After reading Superman's interview, Diana couldn't imagine what it felt like to be idolised and admired by so many. Diana did not like pressure, she never had someone pressuring her to do anything, she was mostly left to her own devices so to have billions of people expecting so much of you, it was not a life she would like to live, not now, not ever. Diana wasn't sure if she admired them or pitied them. As she looked up at the statue of Superman, she decided it was easier to pity them, she couldn't afford to admire any of them. They were not her enemies, but she was soon to be theirs and she had to have no mercy, no sympathy and especially _no_ empathy.


End file.
